Folding machine



Jun 17, 1941. M KAI-[N 2,246,256

FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR.

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ATTORNEYJ June 17, 1941. L. M. KAHN FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY L ATTORNEYS June 17, 1941. L. M. KAHN FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (3 m (E/NOR. BY A W ATTORNEY-3 Patented June 17, 1941 FOLDING MACHINE Leo M. Kahn, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 23, 1939, Serial No. 275,158 r In Great Britain May 23, 1938 18 Claims.

This invention relates to folding machines such as are usedinlaundries for folding towels, sheets and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple form of machine which will enable folds to be made in articles such as towels, sheets and the like in predetermined places irrespective o the dimensions of the articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding machine wherein the time of the folding is controlled by two elements, each of which is in relative-motion with respect to some other element of the machine,-the fold occurring upon a certain relative position of these elements, and each of which has a further relative motion with respect to those other elements, there being a second possible folding when these elements have reached another certain relative position.

Another object is to provide'a machine which folds articles in two, three or four, at will, and which, being fed articles of miscellaneous sizes, folds each in a manner predetermined to be appropriate to its size and with special preliminary adjustment for each article as it is fed.- Another object is to provide such a machine which may be immediately caused to changethe type of folding for any, one or more, particular sizes. Y

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a machine and its electricconnections embodying one form of the inven n; 7 V

Fig. 2 is an end viewof acontrol unit the surface of a rim of which is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view, with its motor, of the unit shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of said unit taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of said unit taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the outer part of said unit;

Fig is a perspective view of a part of said unit; and

7 Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views of modified forms of the wiring of said unit.

In the preferred form of the invention, the position of the fold to be made in an article is determined by, and the fold itself is made as a result of, the movement of a pair of rotary members or riders, which movement is controlled by the passage of the article through the machine. H

The bed of the machine over which the article to be folded passes comprises a pair of horizontally spaced conveyors l0, between which is disposed a s o-, called folding finger or blade [2 provided with means for being moved at appropriate times transversely to the directionof movement of the article so as foldingly to lift the latter and present it to a pair of folding rolls M. It is this finger which is automatically operated so as to cause thearticle to be folded along the desiredv line. p

It will first of all be assumed that it is desired to make one central fold in each article which is fed through the machine so that the fold has to be made when the article is in sucha position that half its length has been fed past the folding point. Other means will be described hereinafter for making the fold in a different position and/or for making a second fold in any article.

Let the distance from a particular point on the entry side of the machine (hereinafter to be referred to as the starting point) to the folding; point be denoted by a." and the length of the articleby 1 Then, any point in the article, from the time the front end of the article passes the starting point to'the time when the fold is to be made,travels over a distance equal to art- If now, an arm or rider is set in motion at auniform speed, when the front end of the article reaches the starting point, that rider, by the time the article has reached the folding point, will have traversed a distance which can be represented by Similarly, if a further rider is set in motion at a uniform speed, when the rear end of the article reaches the starting point, that rider, by the time the article has reached the folding point, will have traversed a distance which can be represented by That is to say, when the article is at the folding point, the riders will be equi-distantly spaced on either side of a .point distant from the common origin from which the riders move by an amount we) representing the distance of the starting point from the folding point. What is required then is that the riders should cause the folding finger to be actuated when they I take up symmetrical positions on either side of a fixed point. This can be done in a numberof ways.

Blade to which is brought power from electric mains l8 and which may be in a series with a relay 20. The riders, set in motion by the article to be folded, in their turn operate the relay '20 and thereby blade l2, as will next be explained. There is a control unit, shown as a whole in Figs. 2 and-3 and in part in Figs. 4-6, which may be placed anywhere as there need be only electric connections between it and the actual article-carrying and folding parts. It comprises two outer, stationary wheels 22 and 24 and an inner rotatable wheel 25, all coaxial. There are a plurality of riders 28 which, at certain times, are carried forward by wheel 26 and then act as electric connectors between various contacts on the rim of wheel 22 and other contacts on the rim of wheel '24. The connections thus made close appropriate electric circuits which supply energy to the folding means at appropriate times. The riders 28, when not in operation, rest on portions of the peripheries of wheels 22 and 24, which portions are without electrical contacts. The riders in Fig. 2 are shown resting in inoperative position. Each rider has a trigger 30 pivoted thereto. The foremost rider 28 of the inoperative riders is prevented from moving forward by a release 32 which is attached to the frame of the control unit and which normally catches and holds the radially outward arm 34 of the trigger 30 of the foremost rider 28 The second rider- 283 and succeeding inoperative riders are prevented by the foremost rider from moving forward until it is their turn. The release has a tiltable lever 36 pivoted at its center. One end of the lever is in the path of arm 34 of the first rider 28f and holds the latter in inoperative position. When the release is operated, the lever tilts out of the path of arm 34 and a spring 33 attached to rider 281 pivots the trigger 30 until a trigger tooth 40 moves inward toward the rim of wheel 26 and engages with one of the teeth 42 on that rim. Th motion of wheel then carries rider 281 forward.

The arms 34 of successive riders are not in the same plane (perpendicular to the axis of wheel 26) but the arms 34 of alternate riders are in the same plane. Lever 36 is so positioned that, when one end thereof is raised out of the path of an arm 340i one rider, the other'end of the lever is lowered onto the path of the arm 34 of the next rider. 1

When rider 28f moves forward past release 35, the trigger on the second rider 28s is no longer supported by the rear of the first rider and the trigger on the second rider falls until its tooth meshes into teeth 42 on wheel 26. The latter, as it rotates, carries the second rider 28s along to the position previously occupied by the i2 may be operated by any motive means such as a friction clutch or solenoid I-6 first rider. The arm 34 of the second rider is brought against the other end of the lever 36 which raises the trigger against the action of spring 38 and disengages tooth from wheel 26, thereby bringing the motion of the second rider to an end at the very point where the first rider moved from. Similarly, all of the succeeding riders move forward into the position of the rider which was ahead.

After a certain time, as explained below, the

-release 36 releases the second rider which then proceeds to follow, at a distance, the first rider around the rim of wheel 26. The passage of these two riders completes certain electrical circuits whereby the folding apparatus is operated. Successive folding operations are each brought about by successive ones of the pairs of riders which are carried around the peripheries of wheels 22 and 24.

In Fig. "1, below the representation of the conveyors .l0, folding'blade l2, etc., there is shown a diagram of the contacts on the rims of wheels 22 and 24. On the wheels, of course, the contactslie on an arc of a closed circle. In Fig. l, the peripheries are shown as flat straight lines. One end is marked 0" and the other is marked 360. On the wheels, the portions marked 0 and 360 are immediately adjacent. The riders are shown in their inoperative position as occupying one quarter of the periphery between 0 and 7 The. top of each fixed wheel 22 and 24 of the control unit corresponds to the marking in 1. There is a plurality of contacts, A, extendin g to the right of the top of wheel 24 through an arc of 90. They lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of wheel 24. There is another plurality of contacts, B, extending to the left from .the top of wheel 24 through an arc of 90. The latter lies in a second plane perpendicular to the axis of wheel 24. Each contact'on the right is electrically connected to a contact on the left which is at the same distance from the center point marked 180. On wheel. 22 there is an electrically conducting strip 44 an end of which is in registry with the first contact on the right on wheel 24 and the other end of which is at that part of the wheel marked 360. I The strip is in a plane perpendicular tothe :axis of the wheel. Another strip 146 is alsoon therim of wheel 22 and is in a different plane. It extends from the portion marked. 90 up to a point in registrywith the last contact on wheel 24 to the left of the center point. The strip 44 is connected through switch 48 to one side of a low potential current source. (transformer) 50, the other side of which is' connected through switch 52 to strip 46 through the relay 20;

There is a contact button 54 on the bottom of the first rider 28f which is so positioned that, as the riderreaches the fixed contacts A, it successively'contacts them. Contact button 54 is electrically connected to another contact button 56 which is positioned on the underside of rider 28f sothat, 'as the latter moves forward, button 50 comes in contact with strip 44. There is a contact button 58 so positioned on the lower s'ide of the second rider 28s that, as soon as the second rider enters the quadrant 90180, it begins to successi-vely contact the contacts B. Contact button 58 is electrically connected to another contact button 60 so positioned on the bottom of the second rider that when the latter is in the quadrant tacts strip 46. p r g r a One ofthe simplest folding operations will next be described. An article, which is for ex ample forty inches long, is placed upon con-j veyors' l0. Its forward edge trips a finger 62 as it passes a predetermined point. The motion of the latter causes a circuit 64 to be closed and the current in the latter operates any suit-'- able mechanism 66 to tilt the release lever36. Thereupon, the first rider 28,1 is released and begins to pass around the peripheries of the wheels 22 and 24. The motors which run the conveyors I and the wheel 26 may be in synchronism or the conveyors and the wheel 26 may be geared to run at .the same or at predetermined relative speeds to that, when the front edge'of the article is in line with the point of contact between the two folding rolls [4, the first rider is at the mid-point of the fixed wheels, shown at the top in Fig. 2 and as at 180 in Fig, 1.

Whenever the rear edge of the article passes off from the finger i132, the finger is released and breaks circuit 64, causing the operative means 66 to tilt release lever 36. With this second motion of the lever 36, the second rider-28s is set free to be carried forward by wheel 26. Contact button 58 on the second rider, begins to contact thecontacts B and to connect them, through contact button 60, to strip'46.- No circuit is completed, however, until the for- 90-180, button 50 cpnward end of the article reaches a point as far in advance of the folding blade-l2 as the rear edge of the article is behind the folding blade l2. Due to the synchronization of the conveyors and the wheel 26,- the first rider will then be in contact with the contact marked 20 in group A and the second rider will be in contact with the contact marked 20 in group B. At this point, for the first time, a circuit-isestablished; the electrical elements of which are successively the transformer 50, switch 48, strip 44, contact button 56, contact button 54, contact 20 in group A, contact 20 in group B, contact button 58, contact button 60, strip 46, switch 52, relay 20, and transformer 50. The relay'2ll operates the motor or solenoid I6 and that'causes folding blade l2 to rise and foldingly. to lift the article up between the folding rolls I4- which catch the article and pull it as a double'layer up between two pairs of spaced conveyors Gil-and 10. The article now has been folded once at its mid-point. It may pass on along conveyors l0 and be removed by an operator.

Successive articles may be placed on conveyors H), with such spacing as may be desired, and each article causes a first and second rider to be released and carried around the periphery of the fixed wheels, Each article is therefore caused by its own motion and length to be folded once along its center. Y

Means are provided for folding an article again after it has been folded once. Thus, there are folding rollers H4 positioned above conveyors "l0 and adapted to receive and fold the once folded articles in the same fashion as rollers 14. A second folding blade H2 is positioned below the point of contact between rollers I I4 and operated by a motor or solenoid H6 which is ina circuit with a relay I20.

The proper contacts and strips are provided on wheels 24 and 22 and the proper contact buttons are provided on the riders to assure the motion of the second folding blade. These contacts, etc., are as follows. There is a group of contactsC positioned in a straight:linaalongthe periphery;- of .wheel. 124 and extending beyond a point X (see Fig.1 1); The pointix is at aidisr." tancefrom the'center,: 180?-?, which corresponds topthe. distance-which. the article must travel be; tween-the first and .secondgfoldirrg blades- {Ijhere is,;anoth er group D of contacts. can-wheel 24: on the other side. of that point, X. -,Each contact in group 1 C,, which is: at a predetermined distance beyond X, .is connected to; a contactging group l);v which .is; :but on'e+third ;that distance1 from X, There-ais'; an electrical;- conducting strip lg on; WheeIHZZ-inline ,with *strip 46 but lying: in the. quadrant ,-270 andfin registry with: the con}. tactsgD-on whee1:.2 4.: There is alsoa oon-tact buttton 14 on the underside of rider .281 in line with. contacts .C,;'and there. isaa: contact button 16 on the underside of; rider 28s; in linegwith contacts D. he buttons 14. and.5fifare electrically con: nected, as are contact buttons li and-B0 1 The operation giving the second fpld=-is tas fol-; lows. .Assumc; for example; that the article orig-. inally; forty inches long hasbeen folded once and that 1the1dis a e; between t e. foldi b ades, i

1 tyin h il'; yr hest meith tll fi cen r fthe double article is between rollers ll4,.t he rearedge will be ten; he ;-:heh nd that-.nointg nd t ill have; moved forward twenty inches from the first b a he r n orwa d: dee t e, a l

l e. en fo e srae s,v b 'l f d.i t-. be

folded, it wouldhave gone sixty .inches beyond the zeropoint or first blade The firs rider reaches contact 6 0 in group q thereforeat'the; e ime th h c d idere he q t 920 in groupD. At that; mpmengthe-following electrical circuit issclosedztransformer .50, switch 48, strip 44., -contact button tfi contact button T4 contact 60 in group C, contact 20 "-:in;group D,-

contact button 'IB, contact buttonfiq, strip 12, switch 18, relay l 2 ll and transformerjflr The relay lzloperatesmqtorl leand blade Ill rises to fold .;thearticle again, "thi time up between folding rollers H4, It then conti'nu es between "1 conveyors B8 and conveyors 8B. unti1-it is-removed b no era or- The. second fold in-the firstarticle may be .in' the process of beingiinsertedwhile the second a i ab n fol ed qet een the fi t pa r; of rollers 14.- -su eeding pa r f ridersnave contact buttons p .sitioned similarly; to the b ute.

tons on thefirst pairof riders; o r t o ly. a a .0; 39*; el q jalfgfimw g n C and D, etc. r newa constru' io tactsare quite-e10 ether-fan spond. .to differences n 1e be folded of- ,an inch, say.

If there are no, contacts A Bnearer'the ee e:-

tel L1'8Q I" than those representing ten inches;

h all a t fiw h a eb qsh rli t regchten same t e n ra t vai ox f t at-b a e,

Contacts --on the riders andlfi aed wheels may be. p ovid ;v to. v l alit of: folds. g i

me-w l -so thmu l f (l d; asth re sometimes desirable [to fold .articleinto' three 1 layers; .liinety' 1th 'e gr'j.example are ilie fglded t rt inches-immune nd and t e folded in two soas wa ve three la r w th two.

other group' F on the other lside. .Eachfcontact. I

in one group is 'conne'ctedito acontact-in :the other.- whichis at agdistance fromthecenter .point an the distance Qif th'e first-menamen om some a contact fbutanthem-rate: yftwo riders *is'in registry wins-animate 12:, an" itaetwtwn at on the *lif awn were is in with the i n wheel :22 as m-registry fifth a ead-mew an so and tri a zo heel is hi reentry with the contacts on mittens-so "on first rider and second nae: are-positioned to ride i-iniooia taet wlth M and ifljres'peemay. my the 'd'rom the relay u h on are a fold at tonethird an ere-mu m ginto pl y an the arrow discussed above forgiving a 16min the-sump: an am le aredef t open.

meantime to be glven a fold at matinee one end. When the forwaril' endiis blade 12, mm time: erased: transformer so, at, strip contact mitten-Fan, contact i not {'so nitrous contact "so" "in e, ncontaet bumn a2, wants, eel-airmail Mennonite-r 50.

' at metwe fiiahs I16 and blade ta ty amass as re'quired. am ism a "to the in row afte'r the first fiifloirbttiii d the met I e mm the one or the nsmp H on wheel great "a t e Xtothe point there maybe ar. emma single contact 96 at I on the first rider is to an button to -contact the ts. i-w tton as a permeated 9B and I is ten- !l. Strip 31 as in seea may be eoniieetea to readi itti i-i'l seen "that, as awesome-eds when the nrtlcle 'whic-h hushed "a eseanira *toid reaches the "second blade; the iei etilqritf'81 pafrts will be in proper condition to cause the operation of that iihe iatic'le is a s'e'cohd fold and has, an eon-amen, three layers.

ahirrahgemeht or electric eon- Eldngths With'i'na prerange are tamed ina pitld etermined way and articles other predete nnined other predetermined ways. in an arrangement is shown by amen-erases tees hasten inchesdone go tne ma'ehihe armies from ten to are folded ohce in the mid dle, articles from fifteenl tothirt'y nineinches are foia'edihto asters two folds dmamg' nie article-intestate, the articles forty ai'id l h'tei'hm roiaea twice, giving tlayrs equa' "'1 length. rrxea when as n and a! aha-strips WI and m *coacting rider buttons Slime-the folding in two a or the earcies rmm re-man inane; rang.

gmassaana K and stars-m and t I! :riaer tattoos "the Yon, fife lhfith; bf the article's and .thiity-hm'eand median seen-es groups is M and si'iriiasI"! 'lfl cause the tecohd fold. in the articles which are. thereby folded into three lasers. flied "cohtact-groupssN and P and strips J ll and I witheoeactingrider buttans first, told of the two folds it we which "rm-y. inchesin .ieneth manager. Fixed -contactg'rou'ps'Q and R and strips Illa and I99 with co-acting-riderbuttons cause the "second fold of the two 'fol'ds which together give roar equal-sized layers in the articIe'sWhich are forty "inches and more 'in length. ili'he electric leads T30, 13| and I32, shown in Fig.'8,"afre connected, as are thesaine numbered leads'in Fig 1, i. e., to transformer 50, relay I20, and ,rlay'ZOI, respectively. V n v There may be an arrangement of electric connections whereby an article of predetermined length or of length within a predetermined range may be 'folded-inacertain way or, upon the throwing of one ormoreswitches, be folded in another way. Such an arrangementis shown in Fig. '9, thecontact groups A, B, C and D and contacts "94 and 96, allon wheel 24, being for the same purpose. as the similarly lettered groups in Fig. "1. Various contacts and strips are provided on Wheel 22-so that any one ormore of the arti- 0185., which are from ten to thirty-nine inches long, may either "be. folded into four layers or into three layers. Contacts 46a, 46b, 460, etc, are the equivalents of separate portions of strip 46 of Fig. 1, and contacts 88a, 88b, 88c and 88d, etc.-, are the equivalents of separate portions of strip 88 of Fig. 1. These contacts are within the ten to thirty-nine inch zone. That range may be brokendown into shorter portions, if desired. Switches I-52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, etc., respectively, connect -lead 132 to either 46a or 88a, 461) or 88b, etc., but not toboth 45a and 88a, 46b and 8812, etc. Theseswitches may be operated separately by hand or as a unit so that when the machine is setfor one type of folding, the connections for the other type of folding are automatically severed. The necessary contact buttons on the riders are provided to register with the fixed contacts and strips. Similarly, if desired, strips 12 and 9! maybe broken down into separate contacts with switches so that lead line l3l may be connected to any one small portion of strip 12 .or strip 91, but not both. The last-mentio'ned switches may be made to operate in conjunction with switches 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, etc.

By arranging for the shifting of the full set of contacts slightly forward or backward, a setback or an "overlap can be made in the folded article, if desired, to cover up so-called dog ears or bad feeding. This may be done by slightly rotating disks or wheels22 and 24 about their axis.

Alternatively, the two riderscan be made to move different directions and cause the folding-finger "to'beactuated when they make contact with each other. Thus, one of the riders can be made to keep in line with the front end of the article while the other can be made to move towards the folding point at the same speed but in the opposite direction from the instan-t-at which the rear end passes a pointed an arbitraryv distance from the folding point, the starting point for the second rider being at the same arbitrary distance from the folding point. Similarly, one of the riders can be made to keep line with the rear end of the article and theother can be made to move towards it from the instant when the front end passes a, point at an arbitrary distance from the folding point. The point from which the latter rider moves is at the same arbitrary distance from the folding point.

. i The invention can be applied to folding machines-of; different kinds from that assumed -above. In particular, it canbe applied t osoone machine of that kind in use today an adjustable stop and plate are provided which are set in accordance with the length of the article to be folded and up to which the operator drags the article. When this stop is reached, the article is gripped to determine the line of the first fold and a pivoted plate or flap isswung to make the fold. The other end of 'the article is then folded over the free end of the folding plate. As the same plate is used for articles 'of difierent sizes, the folded portions are frequently of different lengths. In applying the invention-to that kind of machine, the above-mentioned adjustable stop may be dispensed with. The operator drags the article over the bed of themachine. The bed comprises friction gearing which'is rotated by the dry article or by the operator when placing the article which causes a rider situated beneath the article to be moved backwards. This rider carries a photo-electric cell which remains inoperative when obscured by the article, or mechanical power means can be used to set the rider in motion by the article reaching the folding point. When the cell'reaches the end of the article, it is illuminated and causes a gripper to grip the article and arrest its movement; If the friction gearing has a two-to-one ratio so that the rider moves back twice as fast 'as the article moves forward, and the gripper is situated at the point from which the rider started, the article, when arrested, will overlap the gripping point by one third of its length. If, now, a folding plate comes into action, the leading-third of the article will be folded back. The trailing end can then be folded over the leading'end. Provision can be made in a simple manner for the three portions of the folded article tobe of equal length. It is only necessary that the movement of the rider'should be accompanied by a proportional movement of the fol'ding'plate so as to adjust the effective length and movement of the latter past the gripping point; Thisovercomes the'disadvantage of the machine referred to 'above'in an inexpensive manner, and because when folding narrow articlesit may "not-beessential to effect the folding at predetermined points by remote control.

A pulley on the shaft of the motor which rotates wheel 26 may be connected by a belt to a pulley on a shaft of the conveyor system, thus I synchronizing the control unit and the article conveyors.

In the above-described machines, two riders control the first fold in an article and the same two riders control the second foldinthat article. The same result, as far as the second fold is concerned, may be obtained less simplyby using the first rider and a third rider whichstartswhen the first fold is made, in which case the machine operates'as though the once folded articlewere aflat unfolded article and" a new mid-point, 180, is used for the second operation. Consider a once-folded article as a new article of shorter length. Then the second fold is in the middle of thenew article whether that 'article was previously folded in half or at a one-third distance. The contacts, for the second fold,'for the first and third riders would be spaced in pairs','one in each pair being connected to the other-new mid-point. By spacing the points as at G and D m Fig. 1, the necessity for the third rider is obviated.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting ments, means for spacing said elements at a distance which is a function of the length of an article to be folded, means for moving said elements, while so spaced, to some predetermined position, and folding means set in operation by said elements in said position andadapted for folding said article.

2. In a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a plurality of movable elements, means for automatically spacing said elements at a distance which is a function of the length of an article to be folded, means for moving said elements, while so spaced, to some position, and folding means set in operation by said elements in said position and adapted for folding said article.

3. Ina device for folding articles, the combination comprising a'plurality of movable elements, means for spacing 'said elements at a distance which'is a function of the'length of an article to-be folded, means for moving said elements, while'so spaced, to some position, folding means 'set, in'operation by said elements in said position and adapted for folding said article,

means for'moving said spaced elements to another ,positionmand folding'm'eans set in operation by said elements in said other position and adapted for folding said article again. 1

Ina devicefor folding articles, the com bination comprising a plurality of movable elements, means for spacing said elements at a distance which'is'a function of the length of an article to be folded, means for moving saidelements, while so spaced, to some position, folding means set in operationby said elements in said position and adapted for folding said article, means for moving said spaced elements. while still sospaced, to another position, and folding means set'in operation by saidelements in said other position and adapted for folding said article again. r

5. In-a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a plurality of movable eleme'nts, means for spacing said elements at a distance which is a function of the length of an articleto be folded; said means being operated by the passage of the front and the rear of such an article,;means for moving saidelements, while so spaced, to some position, folding means set in operation by said elements in said position and adapted for folding said article, means for moving said'spac'ed elements to another position, and folding means set in operation by said elements in saidother position and adapted forfo'lding said article again. 7

6. In a device for folding articles, 17116 001111.htnation comprising a plurality of movableelements, means for spacing said elements: at a distance which is afunction of the length of an article; to be folded, means for movinggsaid elements while they are spaced at said distance, means for folding said article, other elements, means for changing the distance between the first-mentionedelements and' said other-elements, and. operative means for said folding means and put in operation when said elements have a predetermined spatial relationship.

7. In a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a plurality of -movab1e electric contacts, means for spacing said contacts at a distance which is a function of the length of an article tob'efolded', means for causing's-aid contacts, sospaced,'tomove to become part of an electric" circuit whereby said' circuit is'closed, and means'operated' by power associated with said'circuit and adapted'for folding said article.

8'. In a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a plurality of'movable electric' contacts, means forspacing'saidfvcontacts at a-distance which is a function of the length of an article to be folded, means for causing said contacts to become part of an electric circuit whereby said circuit isclosed, means operated by power associated with said'circuit' and adapted for foldingsaid article, means for causing. said confacts to become. part ofanother electric circuit whereby said other circuit is closed; and means operated by power associated with said other circuit and adapted for folding saidarticle.

9. In 'a device for folding articles, the. combination comprising a plurality of"movable"electric contacts; means for spacing saidrcontaots at"a distance which is" a function" of "the length offan article to be folded, means-for causing said contacts to become part of an electric circuit whereby said circuit is closed, means openated by power associated with 'said'circuit'and adapted for folding said article, means for later causing said contacts to become part of another electric circuit whereby said other circuit is closed, and means operated by powerassociatedwith "said other circuit and adapted for folding said article again.

10. In a device for folding articles,the combination comprising means for successively moving' a plurality of articles which are of different lengths and which are to be folded, a multiplicity of movable electric contacts, means for spacing one plurality of said contacts at adistance whichis a'function of the length of one ofsaid articles to be'folded, means for causing said contacts to become part of anele ctric circuit whereby said circuit is closed, means operatedby power associated'witli said circuit and adapted for folding said one article, means for spacing a second plurality of saidimovableielec tric contacts at a distance which is a function of the length ofanoth'er of saidarticles, said other article being moved after said one article and-being of a length different from said: one article, means for causing said second plurality of "contactszto become part'of an electric circuit whereby said circuit is closed, and means operated by power associated with said circuit and adapted for folding said second article.

11. In: a devicefor folding antic1es,athe combination comprising means for folding at predetermined type of fold into articles having lengths within a predetermined range, means for folding another type of fold into articles having-lengths within a a different range, saidv first and second named. means" including electric circuit portions independentvof each other; electric-circuit comp1eting-,;rider. means controlled by the length of any article about to be folded and adapted for operating whicheveraof said folding means is for folding an article of such length, means forrendering the second-mentioned means inoperative, and means for causing the first-mentioned means to foldall' of said articles;

12. In a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a pluralityof movable elements, means; for moving said elements at the same speed, operated,by anarticle'which is to be'folded, and means for folding thearticleand set in operation'by'said' elements after they have been set in motion, said last named-means including an electrical circuit completed through a plurality ofsaid movable elements simultaneously;

13; In a device'for folding articles, the combination comprising means providing a path, a plurality of elements movable'along said path, means for. successively stopping said elements at an initial point of said path, means for releasing one of said elements from said initial point of said path, wh'erebysaid one'element moves along said path, and-for arresting a second element at said point, meansfor-moving said elements, the last mentioned means being "operated by an article which is'to be folded, and means for folding'the article-and set in operation bysaid elements-after they have been set in motion along saidpath, said last named:meansincludingan electrical circuit" completed through I a plurality of said movable elements} simultaneously;

141- In -a; device for foldingarticles, the combination-tcomprising fixed means having a: plurality of electric" contacts positioned in "a circle thereom'certain ones of said-contacts 'eaich beingconnected only to a respective certain other one of said contacts, aplurality 'of elements movablewith respect to said-1 contacts and: 'having contacts positioned so that certain of the fixed and movable contacts touch each 'other'as-said elementsmove, 'means for-moving said elements, saidmeans being-operated'byair article which is -to' be folded; and meansforfolding-the article and" set in operation by' power directed by cirwits-established by the'touching'o-f said movable contacts with those of said fixedcontacts which'are connected to each other.

15. Ina device for folding ,articles,-the combination comprisingrfixed means having a plural.- ity. of electric contacts positioned in a circle thereon, certain ones of said contacts eachbeing connected only to a respectivecertain other one of said contacts, a plurality of elements movable with respect to said'contacts and having contacts positioned'so that certain of the fixed and movable contactsjtouch each other as said elements move, means for moving said elements,

said means being operated by an article which is ity of electric contacts positioned in a circle thereon, certain ones of said contacts each being connected only to a respective certain other one of said contacts, a plurality of elements movable with respect to said contacts and having contacts positioned so that certain of the fixed and movable contacts touch each other as said elements move, means for moving said elements, said means being operated by an article which is to be folded, and means for folding the article and set in operation by power directed by circuits established by the touching of said movable contacts with those of said fixed contacts which are connected to each other, said connected ones being connected in pairs, one of the contacts of one of said pairs being on one side of a predetermined point on said circle and the other contact being at the same distance from said point.

17. In a. device for folding articles, the combination comprising a movable element, means for starting said element into motion when the article to be folded reaches a predetermined point, a second movable element, means for starting said second element into motion when the article to be folded passes said predetermined point, and means for folding the article and operable by said elements when said elements are simultaneously in predetermined, respective positions, said last named means including an electrical circuit completed through a plurality of said movable elements simultaneously.

18. In a device for folding articles, the combination comprising a movable element, means for starting said element into motion when the article to be folded reaches a predetermined point, a second movable element, means for starting said second element into motion when the article to be folded passes said predetermined point, and means for folding the article and operable by said elements'when said elements are simultaneously in predetermined, respective positions, said means for moving being adapted for moving said elements at the same speed whereby said elements, when in motion along the same path, are maintained at a constant distance apart.

LEO M. KAHN. 

